1986-1989 Honda Accord
Every so often, an automaker has a special run in which it can seemingly do nothing wrong; great car follows great car, and seemingly every product it touches turns to gold. I would argue that GM had a run like that in the 1960s, followed by Mercedes-Benz in the 1970s, Honda in the 1980s, BMW in the 1990s, and Toyota in this decade. These are the stretches in which a run of great cars builds the brand's reputation and a core of loyal customers that continue to buy over the following decades; in other words, the exact opposite of what GM did from 1975-1985.
Besides the great cars, I find these runs of success so compelling because they illustrate just how deceptively simple making great cars can be. These manufacturers didn't succeed because of fancy new technologies, splashy styling, or unnecessary gimmicks; they succeeded because they delivered original, attractive, cars that last and are fun to drive. Honda is the ultimate example here; once just a respected small automaker, Honda became a global powerhouse by executing the fundamentals flawlessly in the 1980s.
There's something special, just innately right about Honda cars in the mid-to-late 1980s; a purity of styling and engineering that took simple, unpretentious cars and lifted them into genius. I'm focusing on the Accord here, and Cookie the Dog's Owner previously waxed eloquent about his 1985 Honda CRX, and Rob the SVX Guy has done the same for his 1989 Honda Prelude Si, but much of what made these cars great go for the entire 1980s Honda lineup--the Civic, Prelude, Accord, and even the first Acura Integra and Legend.
Like other Hondas of the time, the strengths of the 1986-1989 Accord were simple and fundamental. For one thing, the Accord was a cheerful car; its look was attractive but devoid of pretentious artifice. The Accord's interior was straightforward, with informative gauges, firm seats covered in nicely nibbed cloth, and a low beltline, offering expansive, glassy views of the outside world. The inside of the Accord was a pleasant, purposeful place to be, freed from the clutter of today's cars--no bluetooth iDrives, heated seat bolsters, heads-up Onstar, or leather-upholstered satnav here. The Accord's interior provided a comfortable seat, a pleasing steering wheel, and fantastic light and visibility.
That steering wheel connected to some pretty pleasing machinery as well. The Accord was offered in a variety of four-cylinder flavors; none of them offered an embarrassment of power (Car & Driver tested a 1986 Accord LXi at a 9.3-second 0-60 run), but like all Honda four-cylinders, the Accord's powerplants loved to play with smoothness and enthusiasm out of proportion with their modest horsepower. Likewise, the Accord's handling was sneakily impressive. This Accord came with double wishbone suspension at the front and rear; an advanced but expensive suspension type that gave the Accord outstanding sports-car agility unmatched by its family-sedan peers.
That sneaky, subtle sportiness showed up in the Accord's styling. The Audi 5000 and Ford Taurus were rightly lauded for bringing aerodynamics to the sedan world at around this time, but Accord was just as smooth--and it had hidden headlights. Just to repeat, it was a family sedan with hidden headlights--how cool is that? The Accord was unpretentious and clean, but it was sleek. It was even available in--ooh, la la--svelte three-door hatchback trim.
During my great used-car search several years ago, in which I ultimately purchased my 1983 Chevrolet Malibu Wagon, I seriously considered buying an Accord of this vintage. In fact, there was at the time an entrepreneur who specialized in only Accords of this vintage; he purchased them, fixed them up, and resold them at eye-watering prices. I drove a few of his cars and was impressed, but ultimately I couldn't justify spending large amounts of money on 250,000-mile cars, innate, baked-in goodness or not.
I know Rob the SVX Guy has had to make that decision as well; he owned and possibly still owns an Accord of this vintage, and despite his dedication to the car, its extreme age and wear has been presenting him with some difficult decisions. These Accords are the kinds of car that get their hooks into your heart.
Though there have been other great Accords*, I think this model was the high mark for the line--and I say this as the happy owner of a 2003 Accord. Other Accords have been bigger and more powerful, but this Accord just got it right in a way that I miss as Hondas get bigger, heavier, darker, and more self-consciously overstyled.
* I feel that Honda Accords, like Star Trek movies, tend to alternate between interesting and uninteresting. The third, fifth, and seventh-generation Accords were relatively sleek and interesting; the fourth, sixth, and eighth are relatively blocky and uninteresting.
All three pictures here come from How Stuff Works' informative 1986-1989 Honda Accord page; Honda is the original copyright holder.
Update: Some of the commenters are making the excellent point that Hondas of the early 1990s were similarly brilliant, and they're absolutely right. It's easy shorthand to refer to the 1980s as Honda's magic time, but in fact Honda's do-no-wrong period was something more like 1985-1995. Most of the Honda products during that period, including Mochi Mochi's 1991 Honda Civic, my 1994 Acura Integra, the second-generation Acura Legend, and the 1990 Acura NSX, were inspired and compelling in the same way these Accords were compelling--they offered simple, clean interiors; unpretentious, sleek styling; sweet, rev-happy engines; surprisingly sharp and incisive handling; and great visibility offered by a low beltline. Most importantly, these cars were so much fun to own and drive that their owners became dedicated Honda buyers for the next several decades.
--Chris H.
mikey on June 25, 2009 at 04:47 AM
I got my license in my (then!) step-mom's 3 door Accord hatch. It was far and away the best choice for the test - smaller than the '84 Bonneville my dad was driving or the '87 Voyager my step-dad drove. And a lot less humiliating than my mom's rusty '78 Datsun 210!
I always loved the look of that 3 door. I think you're bang on about that generation being the high water mark for the Accord.
Steaming Pile on June 25, 2009 at 05:45 AM
Some of those great Honda cars carried over well into the 1990s, our late, great '91 Civic hatchback, for example. This was the 80s Honda Civic perfected. Clean lines, sedan-like quiet, and handling like a Ferrari. Oh, and just enough power (92 HP was impressive for 1.5 liters) pulling only 2100 lbs. of car, 37 real-life MPG, and room for a pony. I was kidding about that last part, but we really did use the hatchback utility for quite a few runs to Home Depot.
And I'll go ahead and agree with you that today's Accord is way over-styled. I saw one yesterday, and I couldn't see myself driving one. It seems like they just went way overboard right when everybody else is cleaning up their styling. Look at a new Camry, or a Chevy Malibu, or a Ford Fusion, and then look at the new Accord. Styling overkill.
That Car Guy on June 25, 2009 at 06:35 AM
Today's Accord is a bloated, boring, invisible salesman's beige-mobile. His limp wrist is resting on top of the steering wheel as we speak. Its introduction was underwhelming at best ("Hold on tight to your dreams"?), and its blah styling says "I'm just a car" in a way that hasn't been done in many years.
But there is a cool replacement for the beloved Accord. Last time I checked, you can get a nice one of these for about $22,000. It's called the Civic, which is now larger than the Accords of yore.
crash courses on June 25, 2009 at 07:10 AM
I remember my first Honda the CRX 2 door 1.6 in an elegant blue and what a car!
I was young and this was such a car - it had everything speed, looks and gripped the road like a ferrari.
Those were the days - the hot hatch days!
Anthony Cagle on June 25, 2009 at 08:26 AM
It occurred to me a while ago that when I think of a quintessential '80s car, these Hondas are it. I think the Civic hit its high mark in the mid-late 1990s though.
Chris Hafner on June 25, 2009 at 08:35 AM
You guys are absolutely right about the Civics of the early 1990s, and I'd throw the 1994 Integra in there as well; while it's a little tidier to say Honda's magic period was the 1980s, in all actuality it was more like 1985-1995.
I'll add an update to the post.
salguod on June 25, 2009 at 09:13 AM
I think your spot on in that the 80's mad Honda into what it is today. I'd also agree that the new Accords are outside that sphere of greatness, yet the core of what made the 80's Honda great is still in there. It's just surrounded by a little too much over styled sheet metal.
My 1999 Odyssey is that Honda simple, well executed design taken to the minivan. It just works, and works exceedingly well, with little extra adornment.
I'd also say that the simple excellence of the 80's Honda Civic and Accord lives more today in the Fit and Civic. Today's Fit is very close in size to the Civic of the day and the current Civic is close to the 80's Accord. Not quite as simple as their ancestors (but simpler than their competition), but every bit as well done.
David Colborne on June 25, 2009 at 09:25 AM
I have to agree with Anthony - when I think of '80s cars, that generation of Hondas is the first that immediately comes to mind. I mean, yeah, Toyota sold some cars then, too, but they weren't quite as iconic.
One thing that absolutely kills me about those Hondas is how far ahead of their time they really were. Sure, that Accord was doing 0-60 in just under 10 seconds, but look at what it was going up against. How long did it take a K-Car to get to 60? How long did it take an Iron Duke-powered beast to get to 60? How quickly did a Subaru 1800 get to 60? Frankly, those Hondas blasted the living tar out of just about anything else that anybody else was selling at the time, hands down. It really was quite incredible.
degenerate1991 on June 25, 2009 at 10:05 AM
I always feel a slight tinge of jealousy when I see a nice 3rd gen Accord. I drive a 4th gen ('91) Accord myself, and it's still a nice enough car (I'd take it over my mother's '08 Avenger.), but the 3rd gens just seem *perfect*. I do love my car though. The interior (as long as you don't need cupholders) is amazingly well laid out, lots of room for what is still a relatively small car. The engine is still peppy enough to get me thrown in jail (stick shift helps here), and is dead reliable with 240,000 miles on the clock. It gets 30-33 MPG. My only real complaint with my Accord, other than issues resulting from previous user error (i.e. collisions), is the fact that the taillights have a nasty habit of leaking into the trunk.
Bob Sistek on June 25, 2009 at 11:41 AM
My wife's favorite car of all time is the '87 Accord LXi we bought new. A few months ago I wrote a comment about the 1979 Chevy Citation we owned. I mentioned that, with a few exceptions, it was basically a good car. We traded the Citation for the Accord and, boy, what a difference. By almost any measure the Accord(8 years newer, of course) was far superior: styling, engineering, handling, performance, quality of materials and assembly. As mentioned above, the car just felt right. With the double wishbone suspension it could be driven with enthusiasm, would soak up rough spots on the road and, on long Western interstate trips was solid, quiet and comfortable. Gee, we miss that car. Nice post, Chris.
George on June 25, 2009 at 12:13 PM
I had a 3 door 1985 Honda Accord that on one road trip got 39 MPG while travelling in great comfort. I loved that car. Drove it from 119K to 160K and my only service was replacing the battery.
Trouble on June 25, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Hmmm... well, here goes... I liked the look of the '89-'92 Accords better than the '85-'88s. I thought the hidden headlamps were kind of goofy - in the post-"Knight Rider" '80s, every car company was doing that.
I still miss my '91 Accord EX 5-speed - 30+ mpg, 0-60 in the high eights after break-in, and an amazing companion on long trips. Made in Ohio, by the way.
JT007 on June 25, 2009 at 12:26 PM
I bought a 1988 Honda Accord LX in a President's Day sale in February 1988. I drove it until March 1997. It had 115,000 miles on it when I sold it. I drove it from Washington DC up to New York City, down to North Carolina, across country to California and to Rosarita Beach, Mexico. In those ten years and all across the country, that car started every single time I turned the key ecept once (when the fuel pump went out at about 102,000 miles). It wasn't the kind of car that impressed people but I could take a date out in it and it was fine. It was solid as a rock, it was easy to maintain and it drove great in the ice and snow. It was broken into once when it was parked on West 23rd street in Manhattan. A cab driver smashed into the rear in Washington DC. It was broken into twice in Los Angeles. All in all it kept going. I loved that car. It got me where I was going with enough style that I had everything I needed and wanted in a car. It was the best car I've ever owned.
Chad on June 25, 2009 at 12:48 PM
I have to agree with the update that the Hondas of the '90s were every bit or even more of a magical run than the late '80s versions. My baby-boomer mother summed it up best when she described the mid-nineties Accord as being the '57 Chevy of this generation.
Thomas Willimingon on June 25, 2009 at 01:06 PM
The first car I bought with my own money (17k earned @ $2.75/hr) was then the best selling car in America, a 1990 Accord -- and it's still my daily commuter,19 years later.
Kid's sticker gummed up the back windows, the upholstery is ragged, the speakers go on and off with bumps in the road, the paint is peeling, the trunk opening lever wire broke -- but in all these years the engine has refused to start exactly ONE time.
My next car will definitely be....a Toyota Camry. Honda has made the Accord too small.
Sean on June 25, 2009 at 01:07 PM
I worked for Honda during this time and bought my ex-wife a used 1989 Accord (company car that smelled like smoke) for $8900.00. She hated it because it reminded her of how she "depended" on me and was going to sell it "as soon as it broke down". 8 years, nothing but oil changes and 132,000 miles later she sold it for $4,500.00. They still make great cars.
Elliot Cutler on June 25, 2009 at 01:15 PM
Got my Accord in MD in 84 for about 10.5 K. Could not afford a new one in 2001, also could not fit into it, so I got the Civic around 20K. Seems the Civic has moved up the scale to where it's now what the Accord was working at. Not sure I miss cleaning the carburator on the old 84 (last year they had them) but did manage to get to 316,000 miles before no one else would ride in it with me. What's wrong with a little shaking and rattling, helps keep you awake. Simple is better.
looking closely on June 25, 2009 at 01:19 PM
My dad just sold his '96 Honda Accord two years ago. Not because there was anything wrong with it, but after ten years, he just wanted to try something different.
At the sale, the thing had 130,000 miles on it, but looked and drove like brand new. Even the A/C was still cold.
During that ten year stretch, he never had a single problem or issue with the car. All he did was routine maintenance, changing the oil every couple thousand miles, and swapping the tires.
Mark on June 25, 2009 at 01:24 PM
I love my 1990 DX coupe. It's reliable, handles all right, gets modest gas mileage, and has a great interior that I still prefer over most contemporary cars.
The one, major, glaring problem with it though are the automatic seat belts.
Jenny on June 25, 2009 at 01:33 PM
We have a 1991 Honda Accord EX with 260,000 still love it! And the 1994 DelSol is still our favorite - it has over 200,000 as well. We're keeping both. The 2002 Accord is the "new" one - just 60,000. Grandma just bought a 2010 Insight - we obviously love Hondas
Bruce Dickinson on June 25, 2009 at 01:41 PM
Thanks for the article. My second car was a 1984 Accord Coupe. It was the first car I ever had that never gave me any mechanical problems. I put 187k on it and then it died when an intoxicated fellow hit me while I was stopped at a redlight in 91.
I bought a 87 Accord Lx-i with 45k miles - best car ever. I sold it in 97 when I hit 225k. Never had an issue with the car. I strayed and bought a J-30 Infiniti that had a number of issues. It was refreshing to sell it and buy a 2000 Accord. The 2000 Accord was nice but it did not ride as well as that 87. The only problem I had with that 87 was sometimes one of the pop up headlamps would stick and I would have it help it.
I presently drive a Ridgeline and my wife drives an Odyssey. Hondas are just reliable. I have not had a problem with any of the Hondas I have owned. They last.
Dick on June 25, 2009 at 01:42 PM
My '89 Accord was a total piece of trash, which ran through three sets of front rotors in less than two years. That car was major suckage from the word go. I find it humorous how many folks wax poetically about Jap trash heaps.
Now, with that said, my new hard loaded '08 Accord is everything the pig of '89 wasn't.
Me? I'll take the new of yesterday's crap anytime.
Brian on June 25, 2009 at 01:44 PM
I always wondered why people were going gaga over their Hondas. Then I bought a '93 Accord and understood. It was understated, but elegant and exceptionally well engineered.
kevIN on June 25, 2009 at 01:47 PM
I owned an '86 LXi and an '87 DX hatcback Accord. They were fun to drive and certainly felt faster than they really were. I thought the LXi was hot stuff until I raced a co-workers Blazer and got beat! I had a clutch and a starter go bad, but other than that it was rather reliable. The DX wasn't as nice and had an 'open door' chime that wouldn't shut off. Eventually I finally found and removed the chime bell (located in the center light console on the 'ceiling').
CJinSD on June 25, 2009 at 01:50 PM
Thomas Willimingon,
Are you sure Honda has made the Accord too small? It isn't just immensely larger than 1990 Accord, it is an EPA size class designation larger than the Camry and Malibu. It is the only car in it's class that isn't really in it's class anymore, as it is now officially a large car. I've seen it attacked for being too big to be an Accord, but never for not being large enough to be preferable to the smaller Camry.
Gen III Accords were the first ones that I liked, although the enthusiasm that the first ones generated would be almost unimaginable in today's market of indifferent cars and trucks. The 1989-1992 cars didn't appeal to me because I was never comfortable with their automatic seatbelts. I'm 6'2", and if I adjusted the front seats for my legs I'd be left with several inches of air between my chest and the shoulder belt, which wasn't a good feeling. Also, the shameless E30 BMW dashboard rip off bugged me, as BMW only put black dashes in E30s because they were too cheap to make them in colors to match the various interior options. Honda had color keyed dashboards in the very first Accords, so going backwards to copy someone else should have been beneath them.
The 5th generation Accord fixed all these complaints and more, although the press started to voice complaints about Honda not having V6 like competitors. The 5th generation Accord wasn't as nice when force fed a V6, IMO. The Gen 6 Accord was too bland for words. I think it was the only generation Accord that my friend's parents didn't buy between 1990 and 2008. I don't think I've ever even been in one.
The 7th generation Accord was another breakthrough car. The initial tail light treatment on the sedan was generic to a fault, but the V6 with 240 hp from 3 liters on 87 octane gas was a work of art. The euro Accord, aka Acura TSX, also provided a non-supersized taste of rational sportiness and luxury. The TSX was just a fantastic car, one that apparently even Honda couldn't improve upon, to judge by the new one.
So that brings us up to the 8th generation Accord. For reasons that aren't clear, even the US one seems cursed by European pedestrian impact laws, complete with the blunt ugly face of Europe and the pillow space between the hood and the engine. Other than that, it is still available with interesting drivetrain combinations and is a better drive than the competition. It isn't all that exciting, but it is bound to provide the best ownership experience in its class. Maybe Honda will get back to building exciting(and more compact) Accords for generation 9. As of now, the Civic has as much interior room as the first decade of Accords did, and the Civic Si Sedan is high up there on the list of the most satisfying cars currently on the market.